Motion Pictures

Exclusive:  🎬 U.S. Army WWII Hospital Train Videos 

These silent films were produced by the Army Signal Corps to document Army activities during World War II.  The original 35 mm films have been stored in the National Archives for decades, carefully preserved but not available to anyone.  RailwaySurgery.org had them digitized in 2026, and now they are available to everyone for the first time ever. 
Notes:  Scene lists are the descriptions of scenes as documented in the National Archives catalog.

Evacuation of Wounded, Vicinity of Naples, Italy 16 Jan 1944 (111-ADC-556)

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Evacuation of Wounded by Hospital Train, Italy [1944] (111-ADC-559)

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MDSC Evacuation of Wounded, Charleston, South Carolina, 1944 (111-ADC-2864)

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Exclusive:  🎬 U.S. Army Post-Korean War Hospital Train Videos

The U.S. Army produced these silent 35 mm films in 1954, shortly after the end of the Korean War.  As with the WWII films above, these were stored in the National Archives and not viewable until RailwaySurgery.org had them digitized in 2026.  We are pleased to make these available for the first time ever.

The first two films show the next generation of hospital cars, developed for future use.  These cars never went into service, however, as the military discontinued the use of hospital trains.  

The third film shows hospital train operations and transfers in Germany.  

Army's hospital ambulance train, Fort Eustis, Virginia [1954] (111-LC-37244)

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New Cars For Hospital Trains of the Future, Fort Eustis, Virginia [1954] (111-DD-149-54)

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Hospital Train, Rhine Medical Depot, Germany [1954] (111-LC-36174)

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Previous U.S. Army WWI Hospital Train Videos

These silent films were produced by the U.S. Army during World War I. They were previously digitized and are available on the National Archives website.

Medical Department - Hospital Trains in the Intermediate and Advanced Zones, 1918-1919 (111-H-1537)

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Medical Department - Base Hospitals in the Intermediate and Advanced Zones, 1918-1919 (111-H-1518)

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Stock Newsreel Excerpts [1918] (CBS-CBS-WWI-340)

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Test file